Summary
Telegram allowlist authorization could match on @username (mutable/recyclable) instead of immutable numeric sender IDs.
Affected Packages / Versions
- npm
openclaw: <= 2026.2.13 - npm
clawdbot: <= 2026.1.24-3
Fix Commit(s)
- e3b432e481a96b8fd41b91273818e514074e05c3
- 9e147f00b48e63e7be6964e0e2a97f2980854128
Thanks @vincentkoc for reporting.
Impact
Operators who treat Telegram allowlists as strict identity controls could unintentionally grant access if a username changes hands (identity rebinding/spoof risk). This can allow an unauthorized sender to interact with the bot in allowlist mode.
CVE-2026-28480 has a CVSS score of 5.9 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (2026.2.14); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
Remediation advice
Telegram allowlist authorization now requires numeric Telegram sender IDs only. @username allowlist principals are rejected.
A security audit warning was added to flag legacy configs that still contain non-numeric Telegram allowlist entries.
openclaw doctor --fix now attempts to resolve @username allowFrom entries to numeric IDs (best-effort; requires a Telegram bot token).
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-28480? CVE-2026-28480 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in openclaw (npm), affecting versions < 2026.2.14. It is fixed in 2026.2.14.
- How severe is CVE-2026-28480? CVE-2026-28480 has a CVSS score of 5.9 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which packages are affected by CVE-2026-28480?
openclaw(npm) (versions < 2026.2.14)clawdbot(npm) (versions <= 2026.1.24-3)
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-28480? Yes. CVE-2026-28480 is fixed in 2026.2.14. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-28480 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-28480 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2026-28480 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-28480? Upgrade
openclawto 2026.2.14 or later.